The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-12
Labor Notes.


ST. LOUIS April 1.-THE furniture makers of
this city, who have been dissatisfied for the past
year with the wages paid them, have decided to
strike.
CENrRAL1A. H., April 1.-Two weeks ago
the switchmen in the Illinois Central rail-
road yards, at Centralia, quit work be-
cause the company ordered the force re-
duced. They returned to work, but were
pected to out again to-day. but the company
dered the same number of men to be employed
as heretofore. and the strike was averted.
BosToN, April L-Representatives of the
Master Builders Association and of the execu-
tive committee of the Amalgamated Building
trades Council were in council this aftern DON,
and decided upon recommendations to be made
to their respective bodies. making nine hours
days work for every day in the week except
Saturday, which shall be eight hours. under
payment by the hour, from April l, 1887, to
April l. 1888.
Phi iladelphia Record.
So far Il, $50 wage.workers have struck this
month, of whom over one half are in Chicago.
The Wisconsin Assembly has passed bill fin
ing or imprisoning employers who blacklist
laborers.
In thirty-three cities there has been an in
crease during the past two years OF $4,000 in the
building trades
willing to strike for eight hours. but the officials
of the unions doubt the urgency and expejiency
of such a movement at this time
Eastern shoe manufacturers are receiving in
vitations from manufacturers. big and little in
some of the Middle and Western States to come
there and settle under free land and no taxation
Andrew Carnegie's furnaces, at Pittsburg,
make as much iron per year as was made in the
entire country in 1861. Pittsburg has the larg-
est steel melting establishment in the world. The
city melts 800 tons per day.
New England trades unionism is of a tanner
n ia
most active in the propagation of unionism. The
| textile towns take things easier Employers are
strengthening their defensive organizations.
The makers of biast-furnace machinery, and
| OF mill equipments and appliances. have not
| been so crowded with orders for many years. A
| Chicago syndicate has just purchased rolling
| mill in Howard, Pa, and will introduce the Bes-
| semer process.
Within two years 40O, 900 skilled mechanics
have been set to work in the principal cities OF
| the United States. fair guess would put the
| increase all over the country at 1000 000 The
demand for labor is growing RAPIDLY, and with
| it ihe desire for higher pay and shorter hours.
Electric railways are now running built in
| twenty three towns and cities of the United
States. An electrical authority states that there
are scores of places where roads are seriously
proposed. The Los Angeles electrical motor is
one of the most successful Four cars are run
ming.
Industrial prospects are favorable in the
|
prises keeps up confidence and high prices. The
| distribution of lumber in the Northwest sur
] passes all past records. and the lumber manu-
facturers are fully prepared for most active
season.
There is only one thing that machinery has
not been able to do for shoe. and that is 10 las
! fine shoes without tacks. At last amachine has
been perfected which. it is said. will do thi.
| work. The past quarters shoe business shows {
marked improvement over the first quarter Of
last year.
Illinois has GA labor organizations. with 8
membership of ia, 335, of whom two-thirds are
foreigners. and one-haf Knights. OF tn,
| knights. 20 per cent are skilled workmen. Las
year the workmer of Illinois lost in strike
1,328.2l3 days, worth In wages So, GA 060. Their,
were 2l2 strikes, involving 0,522 workers
Two thirds of all the hands engaged in hosier,
and knt-goods manufacture have received al
advance of per cent. since 1885: cigar makers
to 10 per cent. more; workers in meat packn
establishments, II per cent more. The numbe
of carriage makers at Cincinnati has BEEF
doubled. furniture makers trebled and brass
workers nearly quadrupeo.
Outside of the tramp element, which, in spit
of our industrial activity, has been growing
there is very little idleness and but little occa
sion for any. Within the past year labor La
been attracted from small towns and villages O
the country into building and mechanical trades
and this tendency is likely, in the next year 0
two. to deplete the halfemployed country labo
and increase the labor supply in the large
! citiea Machinista- aananiallv. are in demand